Dillard House

Perched on a picturesque plateau in northern Georgia, The 200-year old Dillard House is situated amongst the breathtaking beauty of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains. Offering beautifully appointed guest rooms, suites and cottages – even chalets – the property is replete with lush, fragrant gardens and a backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Spring and summer boast vibrant and fragrant floral displays; fall is awe-inspiring with brilliant autumnal oranges, golds and red. Although winter months are typically mild in northern Georgia, tranquility reigns here in the peaceful pace and the snow-covered mountains, valleys and nearby hills.

Stay

The Dillard House proudly offers a variety of accommodations to delight any guest. From quaint cottages with tranquil porches for reflecting and relaxing to historic rooms at the Rock House Inn (the original Dillard House) to 25 separate mountainside retreats for couples and families at the Chalet Village, The Dillard House has a room to ready accommodate every guest preference.

Dine

Dining at The Dillard House is truly a southern culinary event. Family owned and operated since 1917, the restaurant prides itself on serving homemade Southern cuisine adapted from historic recipes by Dillard House family and chefs. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served “family-style” every day of the year, and dishes are prepared with every attention to detail.

With special holiday menus, and gourmet renditions of southern classics including country style steak, chicken pot pie, red parseley potatoes, green beans, candied sweet potatoes, fried green tomatoes and much more, the Dillard family prides itself on sourcing the freshest ingredients from nearby farms and ranches. Renowned for its fried chicken and peach cobbler, the Dillard House Restaurant has received numerous accolades including two Readers Choice Awards from Southern Living Magazine. The Zagat-rated restaurant also received USA Today’s “Favorite Family Restaurant/Country Style Cooking” award from 1996 – 2007.

Explore

With stables for horseback teaching and riding, the Dillard House offers fun and adventure for families, groups and individuals. From beginners to advanced riders, experienced trail guides will escort you on mountain trails complete with lush forests, majestic waterfalls and scenic overlooks. Adjacent to the stables is more family fun – especially for children – at the petting zoo. Pony rides, farm animals and more are a wonderful educational experience for young adventurists.

The Dillard House has two fully stocked trout ponds and will also arrange fishing outings to nearby rivers and streams. With the Talulah Gorge State Park and plenty of mountain trails, hiking and white water rafting excursions are extremely popular among visitors and guests. The staff of The Dillard House is also happy to arrange tee times for guests at five nearby local golf resorts.

Thrill seekers can skim the treetops on a Highlands Zip-Line Canopy Tour. Guests of The Dillard House can wile away an afternoon lounging poolside in the Georgia sun with a good book and/or hearty conversation and memory making. Wine lovers swirl and sip local vintages while tasting at Tiger Mountain Vineyards, 12 Spies Vineyards and Hightower Creek Vineyards. And shopping enthusiasts are presented with dozens of boutiques, shops and antique dealers in Dillard and amongst the towns filling Rabun County and nearby Blue Ridge Mountains.

Dillard House Archives

The history of the Dillard house dates back to 1794, when Captain John Dillard was compensated for his service during the American Revolution with a land grant of 1,000 acres. 123 years later, descendants Carrie and Arthur Dillard established the current location as a hotel and boarding house. Carrie, a wonderful cook, gardener and all-around hostess, ensured each guest of the Dillard House was treated like family. During the past 200 years, hundreds of thousands have enjoyed quintessential Georgia style home-cooked meals and gracious southern hospitality as guests of the Dillard House.